Historical information

Tobanese weaving from Samosin Island in Lake Toba. Gifted by Dr. and Mrs. J.S.Mills.
Tobanese weaving refers to the ancient, sacred textile tradition of the Batak Toba people, who live in the Lake Toba region of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Historically practiced by women using a traditional backstrap loom (gedogan), this craft is most famous for producing Ulos, a ceremonial handwoven cloth that serves as a fundamental pillar of Batak social structure, identity, and ritual life.

Physical description

Black ground with woven-in vertical and horizontal stripes of green, blue. purple, red and yellow. Blocks of red, green and yellow shapes. Ends finished with a deep fringe made of warp threads.